In
his article “The Philosophy of
Jewish informal education” Barry Chazan gives several examples of where
informal Jewish education happens. These include Jewish community centres,
adult learning programmes, Jewish family learning programmes, Jewish travel,
Jewish camps and retreats, and Jewish youth movements and organizations. I
would argue that classical Jewish youth movements were the pioneers of
informal Jewish education leading to the spread of this phenomenon to many
different frameworks, including formal education settings. Today, many of
Chazan’s examples of informal Jewish education are offered by youth
movements which provide for their participants a wide social and educational
framework for their teenage years. In this article, the background and
history to the development of these youth movements will be presented, and
their methods of informal Jewish education examined. First, let us examine
what exactly informal Jewish education is, and how it may differ from
general informal education.

Informal Jewish education

In the same article,
Chazan suggests that Jewish and
general informal education share six of the eight defining characteristics
that he delineates in defining informal Jewish education. These shared
characteristics are: both are person-centered, experience-oriented, and
interactive, and both promote a learning and experiencing community, a
culture of education, and content that engages. However, he also suggests
that informal Jewish education can be considered a unique category of its
own, differing from general informal education in two major respects: its
curriculum of experiences and values and its holistic educator.

Chazan suggests that informal Jewish education is inherently about
affecting the lifestyle and identity of Jews. General informal education is
often about learning a skill or improving one’s skills, especially life
skills, but rarely about ultimate identity or character education. Because
of this, these two models of informal education also have divergent
conceptions of the role of the educator. Informal Jewish educators are
inherently shapers of Jewish experience and role models of Jewish lifestyle,
as opposed to the good general informal educator who is focused on helping
to develop skills and not on shaping identity or group loyalties.

Chazan succinctly defines informal Jewish education as:

Informal Jewish education is aimed at the personal growth of Jews of
all ages. It happens through the individual’s actively experiencing a
diversity of Jewish moments and values that are regarded as worthwhile.
It works by creating venues, by developing a total educational culture,
and by co-opting the social context. It is based on a curriculum of
Jewish values and experiences that is presented in a dynamic and
flexible manner. As an activity, it does not call for any one venue but
may happen in a variety of settings. It evokes pleasurable feelings and
memories. It requires Jewishly literate educators with a “teaching”
style that is highly interactive and participatory, who are willing to
make maximal use of self and personal lifestyle in their educational
work.

Youth movements vs. youth clubs

In this article, we are going to concentrate on the earliest, and some
would argue most potent framework for Jewish informal education - the youth
movement. Let us make sure that we understand what a youth movement is, and
how it differs from any other youth organization or club.

Broken down to its most simple elements, a youth movement is an
organization that has a strong ideology, and focuses its activities and
educational content towards that ideology. Every decision made in the
movement, from programming to recruitment policies, publications to catering
plans, first and foremost must centre on the ideology of the movement. In
contrast to this, a club or organization has the participant at its centre,
and their needs are first and foremost, even though there may also be an
underlying, implicit agenda that runs the club, such as the development of
good citizenship, or providing a Jewish social context for its participants.

In truth, most Jewish organizations that utilize informal education
cannot be easily categorized as one or the other, the reality of these
organizations being far more complex. Each movement/organization has its
particular agenda and mix of issues and policies that define where on the
spectrum of movement versus club it sits. In Figure 1, a list of 10
issues can be found, each aligning itself on that spectrum, with classical
youth movements focusing on the issues to the left extreme, and clubs and
general Jewish organizations on the right extreme. Very few movements can be
said to be found only on the left extreme, only concerned with those issues,
and the same can be said for clubs on the left. In reality, most
movements/organizations, are a complex mix somewhere between the two
extremes.

Figure 2 describes
various organizations and their members, and where their personal ideologies
vis-a-vis the movements’/organizations’ ideologies are. Each x represents a
member, with the arrow leading from the x, their personal ideology. This
suggests that a true movement verges on a cult, and all the negative
connotations that go with that. Conversely, an organization where each
member tries to lead the organization on their own path, lacks dynamic
leadership, growth, and “movement”. This model, called the pendulum model,
suggests that each organization oscillates between these positions, rarely
finding themselves at the extremes. Classical Jewish youth movements would
find themselves generally towards the right side of the pendulum swing, and
it is these movements that I wish to focus on for the remainder of this
paper.

Figure 2: The pendulum model of youth organizations

Youth movements and clubs in Britain

The first Jewish youth club established in Britain was the German Street
Girls Club in London's East End in 1883, and had as its aspiration the
integration of young, newly immigrated, Eastern European Jews into
mainstream British society. The German Street Girls Club was the first of
many youth clubs established during that period of high immigration by
Ashkenazi Jews (Jews of European origin) to the East End until after the
Second World War. The goals of these first Jewish youth organisations was to
transform barely literate young Polish and Russian Jews into fully
integrated proud members of the Anglo-Jewish community in particular, and
English society as a whole. This expressed aim was not of assimilation per
se, but rather of integration, focusing on the values of the English upper
middle classes.

Today, there are tens of Jewish youth clubs found in each Jewish
community in Britain, many of them based in Synagogue and communal
organisations, and some are nationwide, such as Jewish Scouts and Guides,
Maccabi Union sports clubs, and the Association of Jewish Sixth Formers.
Another example of these is the Jewish Lads’ and Girls’ Brigade, another
uniformed youth organization and one the earliest Jewish youth organisations
in Britain. Established in 1895 by Colonel Albert Goldsmid, a senior army
officer, for children of the many poor Jewish immigrant families who were
coming into Britain at that time. The first company was launched in London's
East End but others soon appeared throughout the city and the provinces. In
the early days the Brigade catered for boys only, providing them with more
than just spare-time activities. It offered food, clothes and the chance to
learn skills which might help in finding a job. Then, as now, camps were an
important part of Brigade life. Just 19 boys attended the first summer camp
in 1896. Today, several hundred youngsters camp with JLGB throughout the
year. In the mould of youth clubs rather than movements, JLGB has no
expressed ideology, other than providing a fun. weekly program of activities
and an exciting program of weekend, summer and winter camps, giving members
a chance to participate in an enormous range of sports, activities and
hobbies, as well as leadership training and service to the community.

These early Anglo-Jewish youth organisations were clearly social more
than ideological in their nature, and the forerunners of today’s Jewish
youth clubs and organisations. However, just a few years later those youth
clubs were joined by the first classical Zionist youth movements in Britain,
with the Federation of Zionist Youth the first to appear in 1910, a
specifically British movement. However, most classical Zionist youth
movements appeared in the thirties and forties, after they had first been
established in Europe. These movements were ideological in their
orientation, often having strong links to a political parent movement in
Palestine. These youth movements were clearly distinct from the Jewish youth
club whose roots were in Jewish acculturation and the Anglo-Jewish
establishment. Almost all of these movements are international being found
in Palestine and later Israel, as well as all over the Jewish world. They
have concerns and policies that transcend Anglo-Jewry, and educate towards
values and ideals which if not directly oppose normative society, at the
very least, present an alternative vision of society, which is expressed
through the sub-culture of the movement. Today there are in the region of
fifteen Jewish youth movements in the United Kingdom with a membership of
thousands of Jewish youth.

The classical Jewish youth movement
– a historical background

Zionist youth movements play a tremendously important role in Jewish
communities across the Jewish world, including Europe, North America, South
America, Australia, and in Israel. They are a dynamic and powerful source of
Jewish identity and knowledge for hundreds of thousands of young Jews around
the world, using their passion and commitment to their ideology and
charismatic leaders to literally transform peoples lives. Most were
established in Eastern Europe towards the beginning of the twentieth
century, motivated by the desire for the national revival of the Jewish
people in their homeland, forming the youth wings to many Zionist
organizations bringing Zionism to the agenda of the Jewish and larger world.
Many of them, like other European youth movements, they were critical of
established society and idealized a return to nature and a simpler - rural -
way of life.

The first Zionist youth movement was Blau-Weiss (Blue-White), established
in Germany before World War I (1912). The Jewish youth movement with the
largest membership and most significant impact at the time, though, was
Hashomer Hatza'ir (founded in Poland in 1913), with its socialist-Zionist
ideology.

Youth movements played an important role in the history of Jewry between
the two world wars. Their influence greatly exceeded their numerical
importance in community organization, education, political awareness and
Zionist consciousness. One of the major ways to achieve fulfilment of their
ideology (Hagshama) was to immigrate to Palestine as it was then (termed
Aliya – literally to “go up”). As graduates of these European youth
movements reached Palestine, they began to make a profound impact to the
community there. Practically speaking, they were the builders of the kibbutz
movement.

The power of these young ideologues and their ideals became apparent,
tragically, during the Holocaust. They remained active throughout this time
of destruction, and their leaders orchestrated Jewish organization and
resistance in ghettoes and camps. They also helped plan and implement the
Bericha (escape from Europe) movement after the Holocaust. Most of the
surviving members eventually settled in Palestine. The destruction of the
Jewish communities of central and Eastern Europe marked the end of the
Jewish youth movements there (although they are still active in Western
Europe to this day).

Most of the youth movements that originated in Eastern Europe established
worldwide organizations but these had much less impact there, especially in
the United States where young people tend to join social organizations that
are less political. American Jewish teenagers, thus, mostly belong not to
Zionist youth movements but to organizations such as B'nai B'rith,
associations of synagogues, or local and countrywide community organizations
which also try to impart Jewish-Zionist consciousness, and have later become
more focused on Zionism, as the establishment of the State of Israel caused
Zionism to become more central to Jewish identity. The European branches of
these movements proved more successful and important than their American
counter-parts, especially as Jewish life proved more precarious than in
North America.

Youth movements in Palestine began to organize in the 1920s, chiefly
under the influence of movement alumni who had come from the Diaspora. They
stressed togetherness, pioneering and personal fulfilment, especially on the
kibbutz. There, as in Europe, their public impact and influence on young
people was immense. Most of the movements were affiliated with political
entities or even established them. Only the Scouts movement defined itself
as non-partisan politically, while also maintained a Zionist ideology,
educating its members in a national pioneering spirit and establishing
agricultural training groups that founded their own kibbutzim.

Today, Zionist youth movements remain a powerful force in Diaspora Jewish
communities around the world, as well as in Israel and on Israeli society.
In the Diaspora especially, they play a large part in raising Jewish
consciousness among youth. Activities focus on Jewish subjects and encourage
members to congregate at Jewish institutions such as synagogues; thus
strengthening ties with other young Jews. Most youth movements encourage
their members to spend time in Israel and have programs in Israel. Although
all Zionist movements have Zionism and Aliya at their core, not all of the
participants relate to this or are willing to fulfil these ideals. In fact,
some parents in fact feel a little threatened by the focus on Zionism and
aliya. However, most realize the benefits involvement in the movement
brings, such as increased Jewish identity, knowledge and practice, as well
as a social framework, which often they feel far outweigh the risks of their
children being led towards the fulfilment of this nationalist agenda.

International Jewish youth
movements in Britain and beyond

There are 15 Zionist youth movements active in Britain, most of which
have branches in many different countries. There are a handful of movements
that are specific to one country, such as in Britain, the USA, Australia,
and in Israel. Here is a brief overview of some of the major movements,
their history and ideologies, beginning with international movements that
are found in the United Kingdom.

Ideology: Included the establishment of a Jewish state in all of
the territory of Mandatory Palestine, ingathering of the exiles, Zionism
without a socialist component, a just society, military training for self-defense
and a pioneering spirit.

Today: It is active today in Israel and in the Diaspora, with a
membership of 14,500 in Israel and 8,500 around the world.

BNEI
AKIVA is the largest religious Zionist youth movement, and
has political ties in Israel to the National Religious Party. World parent
body is the Mizrachi movement.

Established: Jerusalem in 1929 (Forerunners existed in Poland and
Eastern Europe under the names of Hashomer Hadati and Brit Hanoar even
earlier than this).World Organization was founded in 1954.

Ideology: A philosophy of Torah Ve'avoda (literally Torah and
working the land) - a fusion of Orthodox observance of religious
commandments and Zionist pioneering on the land.

Today: The movement has some 70,000 members in Israel as well as
45,000 in Diaspora communities around the world.

Britain: Formed in London as early as 1939 under the name of
Bachad, and then as Bnei Akiva in 1942), and quickly spread throughout the
country, including Scotland and Ireland. Today, Bnei Akiva is the largest
British Jewish youth movement, with 1000 official members, 700-800
participants of summer and winter camps, and as many as 3000 casual and
frequent participants throughout the year

HABONIM-DROR
is the amalgamation of two movements – Habonim and Dror. The parent movement
is the United Kibbutz Movement and is associated with the Zionist Labour
Movement.

Established: Dror was established in 1915 in Russia, and Habonim
in London in 1929. The two movements joined together in 1980 when their
parent kibbutz movements did the same.

Ideology: Habonim’s original ideology was to foster Jewish
culture, the Hebrew language, and pioneering in Palestine. Dror’s ideology
was based on traditional socialist-Zionism. Today, the united movement
shares both of these ideologies.

Today: One of the largest international Jewish youth movements, in
22 countries with over 10,000 members.

Britain: Dror was established in the UK in 1961. Habonim was first
founded in London in 1929, originally as a response to Anglo-Jewish youth
organizations that were focused on integration rather than national Judaism
and its revival. They amalgamated at the same time as the world movements,
in 1980.

HANOAR
HATZIONI, is a pioneering Zionist scouting youth movement,
supporting different types of settlement - kibbutz, moshav and development
towns.

Established: Founded in Poland in 1932.

Ideology: Strives to inculcate its members with a pioneering,
pluralistic outlook. Main focuses are Zionism, Israel, Judaism and Tzofiut
(scouting).

Today: Hanoar Hatzioni currently has over 10,000 members in 39
communities worldwide

Britain: Established in the UK in 1956, offering an alternative to
the highly political Zionist movements, and the non-political
assimilationist youth clubs.

The following movements exist only in the UK.

FZY,
the Federation of Zionist Youth, is one of the largest youth movements in
Britain, taking by far the largest number of participants to Israel at ages
16 for summer tour, and 18 for Year Course. FZY is twinned with Young Judaea
in USA and the Tzofim (scouts) in Israel.

Established: Formed in 1910, although the name FZY was first used
in 1935.

Ideology: FZY’s ideology has four specific aims – tarbut
(celebration and development of Jewish culture); tzedaka (charity and the
values of righteousness); magen (literally shield, the defense of Jewish
rights) and aliya (the belief that all Jews should live in Israel). These
four pillars are achieved through the medium of pluralism within Judaism and
Zionism.

Today: FZY leads the way for British movements, regularly bringing
350 members to Israel for 4 weeks at age 16, and more than 50 members each
year spend a year in Israel with FZY at 18.

RSY-NETZER
is the largest youth movement from the Reform Jewish community in Britain.
RSY stands for Reform Synagogue Youth and Netzer stands for Noar Tzioni
Reformi (Reform Zionist youth). The movement’s parent body is the Reform
Synagogues of Great Britain, and is affiliated to the worldwide Reform
Zionist youth movement Netzer Olami.

Established: RSY-Netzer was formed in 1982, after an ideological
decision that moved the movement from a Reform Jewish youth organization to
an ideological Reform Zionist youth movement.

Ideology: Reform Judaism and Zionism, with a central focus on
Tikkun Olam (repair of the world).

The following movements exist only in the USA.

YOUNG
JUDAEA is the largest Zionist youth movement in the USA, with thousands
of participants attending camps and tours of Israel every year, as well as
the largest single year-program in Israel for foreign students, with 3-400
participants each year.

Established: Founded in 1909, Young Judaea is the oldest Zionist
youth movement in the United States. In 1936 Hadassah, the women’s Zionist
organization in America became Young Judaea’s parent body, providing them
with vital financial support.

Ideology: Three central areas: Judaism – the striving to impart a
sense of value and love for Jewish tradition and rituals within a
religiously pluralistic environment. Jewish Identity – strengthening Jewish
identity and pride by educating about Jewish heritage, history and current
affairs. Zionism – the belief that Israel is central to all of Jewish life,
Young Judaea's primary goal is the furthering of the national aspirations of
the Jewish people, with Jewish and Zionist education and the promotion of
aliyah being integral steps in that process.

Today: Young Judaea has 7000 members, running events and
activities in 16 regions throughout the United States.

USY
(United Synagogue Youth) is the youth movement associated with the
Conservative Movement in America, and is affiliated to the United Synagogue
of Conservative Judaism.

Established: In 1951 in New York, USY was first founded, catering
for 13-17 year olds, and involved originally 500 participants from 65
different communities across 14 different states, as well as Canada.

Ideology: To develop and strengthen Jewish identity, attachment to
the Jewish people and the Land of Israel, loyalty to the synagogue and
Jewish ritual (Conservative), and to encourage engagement with Jewish study.

Today: USY runs high school programs, pilgrim trips around the
world, including Israel and Europe, trips around the USA, as well as year
programs in Israel. USY functions and has chapters in 64 states and regions
in the USA and Canada.

The informal Jewish education of the youth movement

Jewish youth movements have repeatedly been referred to in this article
as the paradigm provider of informal Jewish education. This is not only
because they are historically the first to use these educational methods,
but also because of the way they employ this mode of Jewish education in
delivering their curriculum (their ideology) to their members. At the centre
of their methods is the focus on experiential education (see
Kolb and
Chazan). They attempt, with
tremendous success, in providing experiential educational contexts for their
participants to relate to, and internalize.

Although Chazan separates youth movements, camp, weekend retreats and
educational trips abroad into separate categories. Today these are all
provided first and foremost (although not exclusively) by youth movements.
These movements, largely run by young graduates in their early twenties
(movements generally have very few professional permanent staffing, and are
normally run on a volunteer basis), provide young Jewish people with
fantastic social and educational opportunities. From month-long summer tours
of Israel, two week residential camps around the country, residential
weekends in different communities, to weekly meetings where catching up with
friends and the educational/ideological issues that are on the agenda are
all provided by these movements around the world. Each event and program is
designed to maximize fun and social opportunities, as well as the provision
of education in an experiential context and mode.

Conclusion

Jewish communities around the world find themselves waging a war against
Jewish assimilation and the drifting away from Judaism and Jewish identity
of their youth. More and more they are realizing that youth movements and
informal Jewish education is an important way to achieve their goals,
providing Jewish youth with a strong sense of affiliation to the Jewish
community and world, and that these movements should be celebrated and fully
supported in every way.

Further reading and bibliography

Sidney Bunt (1975) Jewish Youth Work. Past, present and future,
London: Bedford Square Press. 240 pages. Provides a good introduction to
Jewish youth work. While there is substantial material examining the then
current state of the work, the bulk of the book is devoted to tracing the
emergence and development of the work.

Rose, C. (1998) A Youth Club for Its Time. A personal history of the
Clapton Jewish Youth Centre 1946 - 1976, Leicester: Youth Work Press.
Originally marketed as a 'delightful and nostalgic account of life at the
club '- this book is something rather more. Celia Rose has gone back to old
members and asked them to reflect on their experience. As such it provides
some useful insights into the long term impact of Jewish youth work.

Sorin,, G. (1990) The Nurturing Neighbourhood. Jewish community and
the Brownsville Boys Club 1940-1990, New York, New York University
Press.

Links

Daniel Rose was born and bred in London and moved to Israel in
September 1999. With a background in formal (High School Jewish Studies
Teacher in London area) and informal Jewish education (youth movements and
synagogue organisations in U.K. and Israel), he presently lectures 18-19
year olds' from Britain, America, and Israel, on a gap year programme in
Israel, teaching classical Jewish texts, modern Jewish history, and Informal
Jewish education and youth leadership. His undergraduate degree is from
Jews' College, London University, in Jewish Studies and has a PGCE and
Masters in Religious Education from the Institute of Education, London
University. He has just begun a doctorate in Jewish education at the Hebrew
University, Jerusalem.